Thomas Markle, the 82-year-old father of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, was arrested in Florida on Friday after US authorities charged him with possessing child sexual abuse material.
The US Department of Justice said Markle, who lives in Lakeland, Florida, was taken into custody on Friday, November 6. The federal complaint alleges that he possessed sexually explicit material involving prepubescent girls.
Investigators searched two storage units in the Los Angeles area that Markle had reportedly rented since 2008. Authorities seized approximately 78 items, including photographic slides, film negatives and books containing suspected child sexual abuse material.
Markle is expected to make his initial appearance in federal court in Tampa, Florida. The charge remains an allegation, and the supplied reports do not indicate that he has entered a plea.
FBI Statement and Investigation
FBI Director Kash Patel said federal agents worked with the Justice Department to locate the alleged material and arrest Markle in Florida. The arrest follows allegations reported in October by British newspaper The Sun.
Markle’s son, Thomas Markle Jr., told the publication that he had discovered suspected indecent images of underage children among storage boxes and computer equipment connected to his father in the Philippines.
Markle Jr. said he reported his discovery to authorities in the Philippines and the United States. The Philippine Justice Department previously confirmed that its child abuse unit was investigating the matter.
Meghan Markle’s Response
Meghan said in October that she was deeply distressed by the allegations and expressed concern for any children who may have been harmed.
She also revealed that a letter containing troubling allegations about her father had been forwarded to her in 2019 by London’s Metropolitan Police. The letter was reportedly written by his first wife.
Thomas Markle has previously denied the allegations. In an interview with the Daily Mail, he described the accusations as hurtful and disputed his son’s claims about his possession of the computer equipment.
The father and daughter have been estranged for years. Markle did not attend Meghan’s 2018 wedding to Prince Harry, and Meghan has previously explained that distancing herself from him was a decision made to protect her children.
A spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said the couple had no comment on the arrest.
SOURCES:
CNN
The Guardian
Daily Mail
The Sun
US Department of Justice
FBI
